What Is This Loving Feeling?
by Evilblubunny
Summary: ZabuHaku... THIS IS NOT A LEMON! Haku is starting to feel odd things toward his master... What happens when he finds he's not the only one with said feelings? And what happens when nature... Takes a very very unexpected turn? Rated for language and gore
1. Chapter 1: Something New

What Is This Loving Feeling?

Hello all, my first story after returning to I hope you all like it.

Yes! It is a Zabuza-Haku pairing here... Because they're so incredibly adorable. Though I'm going to try hard to stay as far in character as I can... The fact that this is even happening is a little off in itself :p.

Summary: Odd things and feelings have been circulating in the world of Zabuza and his tool. Haku is beginning to notice strange things, sensations and emotions that were never there before, not to mention the odd way his precious person is acting. Leering glances are exchanged... What will become of the lethal pair?

Warning: Well, yaoi of course... Some future things you people might not like... This IS NOT a lemon... Some soft fluff and mushy goodness... So as not to ruin the surprise for everyone, if you want to know what the major warnings are, ASK ME! x3.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or these characters in any way, shape or form. Perhaps if I did . There would be a lot more secret glances from Zabuza to Haku... And a bit more lovin going on x3.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 1 - Something New

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The rain padded softly against the solid clay shingles of the shrine's roof. Simple chocolate hued eyes stared out over the vast expanse of forest that they'd settled in during this time of turmoil. Soft feminine features were curled gently within the light yukata he'd chosen to adorn himself with, the sweet pink pattern adding a warming color to the horribly gray day.

It was cold, nearly the dead of winter truly, but he didn't notice. Growing up in a place that snowed every day had taught him the true meaning of warmth. Haku sat, quietly, alone on the large porch of the temple, watching the rain fall fast and hard from the sky; small furry inhabitants of the forest surrounding him scurried in a hurried manner to take cover from the chilling downpour.

"Another day. More rain." his gentle voice spoke out, to no one... Not even himself truthfully. The boy loved the rain, it somehow brought peace into the bloody life he lived; not that a tool deserved peace. The existence of one such as himself was determined by his master, his precious one... "Zabuza..." his whispered once more in the empty manner as before.

Haku truly desired to call him something more, something softer than the feared name of the demon. But that too was not his choice, to be so bold as to disrespect his master by replacing his honored title with something so... so... casual, it would be an insult from nothing more than a weapon.

Finally he stood, after sitting in the same, dry, now bodily warmed spot of wood flooring, sock covered feet making little sound as he made his way indoors, padding quietly into the door leading to the room he'd been bestowed with. Nothing much resided in the nearly empty box of for walls and a floor; merely the small futon, folded in the center of the room, a set of wash basins on a simple table in the far corner and of course a few general changes of clothing folded by the door. Entering the shadowed room he slid the door shut behind him, as to not let the slowly acquired warmth from it's contents.

Alone... He was utterly alone, once more.

His master had left him hours ago, on the hunt... Not that eating was entirely important, going days without food was what they trained for, it was the way of the shinobi in times like these...

'_Zabuza... No... Zabu-K...' _His thoughts cut off by a loud door slamming open and the sound of wet footsteps fallowed by a large thud in the main room...

Quickly Haku stood, leaving his room and padding down the hall into the larger room to see the powerful Zabuza, drenched in wetness, feet covered in mud, dripping all over the floor with a dead, lump of an animal crumpled pitifully at his feet. Haku frowned,

'_Poor thing...'_ He thought before shaking off such thoughts.

His master said not a word. Walking past him at an odd, brisk pace, should brushing his own in the seemingly hasty manner the he didn't quite understand... In all his time with the demon he'd never seen him act in such a way... The older man always said something or gave him a knowing glance, an instruction, a comment... But there was nothing, not a word, not a look.

The boy stood there in silence for a moment before he moved to the dead animal, now identified as a wild boar, grabbing the harshly scented beast by a naturally curved tusk protruding from it's snot, dragging it into a room opposite the direction his master had stormed off to, knowing he'd have to clean the room later.

'_What was that... That odd feeling of... Of emptiness... What is wrong with him?' _Haku thought as he skinned and cleaned the pig, hoisting it onto a spit and beginning the process of roasting it over a charred cooking pit within the room, preparing it for the evening meal not long away. The boy's usual happy, slightly carefree attitude was displaced by this feeling of uneasiness.

The rest of the evening past slowly, painfully for Haku, almost agonizingly so. Looking outside, he saw the darkness he'd almost not realized was creeping up on the dwelling, he took the remaining candles from the night before, lit them all the placed them on the larger table in the main room, setting places for him and his master before dishing out the now cooked wild pork and small servings of rice left over from previous meals, allowing Zabuza more than himself of course.

Once the places were set and all was ready Haku stood, in silence, approaching his master's door and knocking quietly. All was silent, for a brief and fleeting moment the boy was worried... Very worried that something had happened to his master; of course until he heard an annoyed, gruff, grunt from the other side of the paper screen door.

"Zabuza-San... Dinner is ready..." he spoke steadily, matter-of-factly, nearly emotionless in his speech.

There was a rustling from the other side of the door before the much larger man emerged, his usual garments not to be seen, instead replaced by a long, heavy robe, reaching his ankles; as he past his young charge Haku could smell him, the fabric was fresh, clean... Different; instead of the usual stagnant stench of Zabuza's un-bathed form that he'd become so accustomed and happy with, only the scent of the demon's natural musk remained. The young ninja felt a shiver run up his spine at this realization... Hoping in his retreating form, his master hadn't noticed... Thankfully, such was the case.

Haku just stood there in a daze for a moment, before...

"Haku..." the stern and harsh voice of the older man snapped him from his dreaming, the boy rushed to his place across the table from the masked man, pouring the tea he'd prepared for the meal.

They ate in silence, he longed to ask his master if something was wrong... If he'd displeased him in some way to earn this horrible silence... To apologize for anything he'd done out of place.

But...

As he opened his mouth to speak.

"Don't..." The deep voice stopped him. "Save your breath kid..." Zabuza interjected, taking a generous gulp of tea as he pushed another shred of pork into his mouth with a lump of rice, chewed and swallowed.

"But Zabuz-..." he was cut off yet again.

"I said don't!" these words were firm and harsh, taking him aback just slightly...

Haku felt... Something... Odd, inside... It hit him in his chest, it was warm but cold... Happy but sad... Full yet empty... What was this feeling? He wondered quietly... The young tool hadn't touched his food, instead he'd been sitting there, staring at the man before him, a blank expression on his face, a feeling of total shock, almost as if this man had stabbed him in the chest; but he wouldn't show it.

"Eat..." The deep, almost liquid voice of this dreadful man chimed again. "Or go to bed hungry..." It was a rule, they ate together or not at all... More like, Haku ate, when he ate... Or not at all.

"Yes, sir..." he dropped his gaze to the half empty bowl of rice and the small helping of pork on his plate. The sounds of crickets began outside, filling the room with a serene quiet as he began to eat slowly, one piece at a time, sipping his tea. Merely a few bites in his master stood, without a word once more, signaling the meal was over... Haku, without another bite, collected the dishes and took them into the kitchen as his master disappeared to his room.

A sight escaped the boy's lips...

"What have I done?" he asked himself... '_Why...?'_ His thoughts chimed in. "Why what?" he spoke to the voice within his head... '_Why do you care? Another mistake... Another punishment... Just as the rain comes and goes...' _He pondered his own thoughts for a moment... The moonlight slowly peaking into a small window, casting light upon his soft flawless face, wide eyes looked sad... Though he'd deny this to the bitter end...

Once his duties were complete Haku slipped once more into his room, unfolding his futon, grabbing the accompanying blanket, spreading it over the mattress before he changed for the night, a simple white sleep robe... Nothing extraordinary to say the least, before he crawled into bed, rolling onto his side and closing his eyes... Drifting into an always restless sleep.

Hours Later

Sometime later, Haku didn't quite know how long... A soft noise pierced his ears, rousing his slumber, hand instinctively slipping beneath his pillow for the weapon concealed there... Eyes mere slits to survey the area without alerting a possible enemy... There was nothing in the room, nothing that wasn't supposed to be there... His paper thin slits of eyes moved to the door... '_Z...Zabuza?'_ He questioned his sight quietly...

There, in the doorway to his room, the door barely cracked, stood his master... The moonlight through his window shown upon that strong... Hansom face. '_But why?' _He wondered... Why would his master spy on him so? He didn't move under the gaze of older man; noticing immediately that this look was one... One he'd never seen before, it was soft. Very soft, his eyes spot volumes of emotion that the boy could not read, the odd actions of the demon seemed to be reoccurring tonight. Suddenly Haku felt heat beginning to rise to his cheeks, the gentle pink hue of a blush covering his porcelain skin, he tried to suppress it, really he did, but when this warm feeling in his face and another glace as Zabuza caused an odd flutter in his chest... He gasped, giving away his awakened state, causing a chocked expression of realization to press his sensei's face, the door slamming shut, followed by a few stomping footsteps and another door slam.

Large doe eyes opened fully now and he sat up, loose hair falling into his face. Gentle fingers raised to his cheek, feeling the warmth that radiated there, free hand moving to his chest, clenching the fabric of his robe for a brief moment... '_What is happening with me?' _He questioned himself... No, he questioned these strange feelings... That was it... Feelings, something that'd become foreign to him over his time with the demon he called master...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Shit..." Zabuza cursed himself... Slamming his door as he turned on his heels and stood before his futon, falling deliberately face-first into the mattress with a bit of a thud.

He'd done it again... Admiring the boy's form...

"Shit..." He growled at himself behind the bandages he still wore, too lazy to remove him, the moonlight revealing clearly the sweat that dripped from his brow. "Fucking hormones..." he growled yet again, stuffing his face under his pillow, not moving again for the night.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Haku didn't resume sleep that night... Instead he stayed, thinking about what was going on... Periodically he'd hear muffled curses from the room across the hall, then a thud of something having been thrown... Then silence... And snoring...

"I don't understand master..." he whispered to himself, the warm breath of the young man passing over chilled lips, breath showing wisps of feather light fog in the night.

Time passed incredibly fast that night, Haku couldn't remember the last time morning had come so quickly in his mind. Perhaps he'd dozed off... Or was the fact that he'd rather have stayed there, pondering the expression on his master's face, than get up and begin the day...

The boy wouldn't have time to find out as sunlight peaked over the horizon and gleamed into his window, causing him to raise a hand to defend his night shade adjusted eyes. With a sigh the pretty young man sat up, blanket falling around his waist as he rolled to sit on his knees and stand on the floor. Moving to the wash basin on the table in the corner of the room, Haku took the large bowl in hand and left the room, filling it with water from the pump outside; robe having lazily loosened and fallen to expose his left shoulder and a small expanse of his back, allowing the morning chill to creep over his skin. Once the bowl was full he retreated to his room yet again.

Having been unaware that there were eyes following his every move once he'd stepped into the morning light.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zabuza peaked through his window... Like some sort of peeping tom... Or perhaps a perverted bird watcher; whatever the case may be. The demon watched his younger companion step into the slightly misty, dew filled morning and fill his wash bowl, eyes suspiciously drawn to the newly exposed patch of flawlessly creamy skin that had been exposed by the fallen cloth.

'_You're pathetic' _His own thoughts chimed in. '_He is a tool and nothing more... A weapon to destroy those that appose you... Not some play thing for your enjoyment' _He grunted... '_But why not... He is MY tool... MY weapon... I can use him any way that I may choose...' _As Haku returned to the indoors, Zabuza turned from the window and leaned to sit against the wall. '_Yet...Why should I? I've not needed anything in such a manner from that boy yet... Why would I now?'_ He mumbled scratching the back of his neck. '_You truly are pathetic...' _The demon grumbled again...

"Shut up..." he said to himself. Not surprisingly... Zabuza wanted to kill something. (Duh... x3)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Haku made it back to his room, thoughts still flooded his mind about what his master could've been doing, watching him sleep like that. But he focused on the task at hand, taking a dry cloth from beside the bowl, dipping it in the water, he picked up a small flower that'd been in a tiny vase next to the tub, pulling the petals from it, he ripped the petals in two, dropping them into the water; allowing a moment for the petal's potent scent to fill the water, he undid loosened his robe, allowing it to slowly slip down his shoulders so he could pull his arms from the sleeves.

Once he was disrobed to his waist, Haku grabbed the cloth from the bowl and rang it nearly dry, beginning at his neck he rubbed the cloth over his pale skin in slow, deliberate circles. Trailed over each arm and down his chest, reaching around his side, he washed as much of his back as could be reached by one hand before switching to the other... Reaching as much of his back as possible. Once that was finished, Haku stood, allowing his loosened robe to pool around his socked feet, sitting once more upon the floor he ran the cloth over each leg, each thigh...

Suddenly Haku found his master's face coming back to mind as he washed himself of yesterdays filth... Yet again that odd creeping heat made its was to his face, the rag now being washed over his back side and between his legs. He found himself biting his bottom lip as he washed the last parts of his body, master still in mind... Another odd sensation knotted in the pit of his stomach... One he'd never felt before... The cloth lingered at his groin, his face hot and pink, warm breath huffing into the air still, the vision of the demon's face, the look in his eye, it grew stronger... Until...

"Haku!" That deep malicious voice knocked him into reality yet again, he hurried to get dressed, grabbing another yukata. This one a soft yellow, the soft pattern of autumn leaves falling over the fabric as Haku rapidly combed out his hair and did it up in the bun he was so use to wearing before rushing to his master's beck and call.

"Yes, Zabuza-San" he replied, standing outside the door, hands clasped together in front of him, face expressionless, head bowed slightly as he awaited an answer.

"Water..." Was all he heard... Haku nodded, knowingly.

Leaving his master's door fron the returned to his room, took the wash basin from the table and dumped the remaining water over the side of the porch outside his room before returning to the front to refill the bowl; eyes from the window, watching his haste; as he returned quickly to his masters room, entering without a word and placing the bowl on a similar table to his own, hurriedly retrieving the cloth he'd used and setting it within the bowl for his master's use. As he bowed and began to leave his master in peace...

"I didn't say you could go..." Zabuza hadn't turned to face him yet... He just sat on his mattress, in none but a disheveled robe.

Haku froze and turned back to the voice, bowing.

"Forgive me, sir." he stood straight, awaiting what was to come next.

"Wash..." The demon spoke...

'_Something's weird... Why is he so quiet?'_ Haku wondered, true Zabuza wasn't the talkative type... But he wasn't speechless... And he certainly had never once asked the boy to wash him... Told more like... Perhaps they were relaxing before in a spring and he'd scrubbed the older man's back... But that was different... Wasn't it?

"Yes, Zabuza." Haku retrieved the bowl from the table and set it on the floor near the mattress, sitting upon his knees behind the demon he carefully pulled the robe down his master's shoulders, grabbing the cloth and wringing it out he placed the call wet fabric against tanned skin...

'_So warm...' _He thought... '_So very warm...'_ The boy washed him slowly, feeling each ridge and curve of his back, each crest and valley of his spine, becoming enveloped in this simple task. Yet... '_Why? Why do I feel like this? I... I want to...' _a huff of warm breath escaped his lips, onto Zaboza's neck, causing the thin hairs there to stand on end... '_...To taste...' _Before the boy could stop himself, he leaned forward, pressing his pillow soft lips to the nape of his master's neck... Eyes closed he kissed there... '_So very warm...' _He thought again, his own body was warm as well, getting warmer by the moment, the flush on his cheeks had softened to a rosey pink. Yet...

The flood of sweetness Haku was swimming in, came to a crashing halt, as he himself went crashing to the floor. Those large earth colored eyes looked up at the large man now looming over his smaller frame, wondering what was to be done with him... What would be his punishment for stepping so far out of line?

"Leave..." was all the hard, cold voice spoke... The happy warmth he felt a moment ago completely forgotten as that word chilled his bones... "Now..." Haku scrambled to his knees and bowed deeply in sorrowful apology before hurrying from the room, the door being slammed by his master behind him.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He gripped his chest... Large tanned hand grabbing at the flesh above where a heart should reside...

"How dare he... How dare he make me feel... I have no heart... How can one with no heart... Have such a feeling...?" It was less a question than a statement... He was sweating cold, a look of angry shock and confusion upon his face...

'_You idiot!' _His mind screamed. '_Why did you ask him in here!? You knew this would happen! You knew! So stupid!' _Constantly plagued by the voices in his head... Constantly ridiculed and belittled by himself... That's what made him himself... Constantly trying to prove how strong... How powerful and how evil he was... Not to everyone... But to himself...

This had been a moment of weakness... Something out of his control; and he was beating himself up for it, insulting such feelings, he'd felt nothing upon killing innocents, yet at the touch of his young companion he felt a strange flutter in his chest.

"Damn it..." he cursed, grabbing the cloth from the bed and finishing washing on his own, throwing the rag into the bowl and getting dressed in his usual gear, leaving the room.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Haku ran from the room, he ran into his room in fact, running out onto the porch, leaning against a support beam and curling his legs to his chest.

"Why... Did I do that?" he raised his hand to touch his lips, remembering the salty sweet taste of the demon's skin... A realization dawned upon his pretty little head...

'_It was worth the trouble..._' He smiled in agreement with such a thought... A new taste, a new memory... A new moment in time he would never forget, and it was worth his master's anger, completely and totally.

Having calmed his fears now, Haku stood and went back inside, pulling the blanket and pillow from the mattress he folded the linen and curled the futon, placing the blanket and pillow atop it in a neat and tidy manner before he left the room again, sliding his door shut, he'd heard the loud stomping footsteps of the larger man as he exited his own room, Haku went into the main area and began to tidy up, still a mess of muddy steps and blood upon the floor, the stench of dead hog lingered in the air. As he entered the room he found the infamous Demon of the Hidden Mist standing near the door, large cleaver in hand.

"I'll return later..." Were the words he spoke before opening the door and leaving for the day...

Haku nodded and went back to his task, but inside he felt heavy, weighted down by some unknown force, some new emotion... A burden that felt so foreign but at the same time felt so much like it belonged... The cold way his master was acting, as the boy thought about it, the weight became heavier, sadder.

'_He's always cold that way... What's wrong with me? Nothing has changed.' _He thought to himself... '_You're wrong... The frigid looks are different, he's treating you like an enemy now... Not a tool...' _He paused wiping up the mud at that point. '_But why? He can do as he likes... I've not apposed him... And I've no mind to.' _He nodded and continued. '_But... Why was he staring? Watching me sleep? Planning on killing me? No... He could've done that long ago. Wanting to wake me to do something for him? But... Why didn't he? Maybe, maybe he just... Just wanted to see me?' _

"Enough!" Haku shook off those thoughts, finding them utterly ridiculous as he cleaned the room, once this task was finished he stood, put on his sandals, grabbed his basket from beside the door and left to go pick flowers for the day. True it was still wet outside from yesterdays rain but, the wetness only made the flowers more beautiful, the scent of the rain was soothing, the wet grass crunching happily beneath his feet...

After a short walk through the dense forest, Haku comes to a nicely sized clearing... The sun shown perfectly upon it, in the haze of the faded rain, a rainbow pierced the sky in a beautiful array of colors. A feeling of peace descended on Haku yet again as he kneeled in the middle of the field, gently picking a soft purple colored flower and holding it to his nose, beautiful chocolate eyes merely half open as he took in the scent of the simple petals.

The boy was aware that he was being watched... By who he didn't know, but he was sure to find out, as he placed the flower in the basket in a seemingly innocent manner, he quickly grabbed one of his common needles, whipping his wrist quickly toward the forest on his right, embedding the shred of metal in a tree with a snapping thud, disrupting a bird or two; a shower of rain drops fell from the shaken leaves.

"Stop hiding... I know you're there..." his voice chided, in it's usual calm, sweet manner. As he waited to see who it was, he grew silently impatient. When...

Nothing... Nothing happened, Haku grew slightly angry, though it didn't show. Whatever form was hiding there took off, pouncing high into another tree. The boy stood and followed in pursuit, the grass whipping at his ankles as he jumped high as well into the trees, following the shadowy figure in the morning light. Whoever it was, they were fast... Really fast. As he ran Haku felt a tug at the back of his head, while jumping from one tree to another, he felt his dark strands fall against his porcelain face; his bun cover had been snagged.

'_I will catch you!' _He sort of cheered himself on, there was a glint of metal ahead of him, '_Yes, I'm catching up!' _As they neared a clearing and the mysterious figure jumped away, the light fell upon it's shadowed form... Light glaring into Haku's eyes as he followed in suit, through the bright, blinding morning light being flashed into his eyes, he could see a familiar figure behind that large sword...

'_Wait... Large sword?!' _As he squinted through the blinding light still trying to catch up the words passed his lips.

"Zabuza-San?" he whispered, curious as to why his master would spy on him yet again.

As they ran, Haku's foot snagged a root arched up in the clearing, tripping forward. Feeling himself falling forward, he closed his eyes and held his arms in front of his face, bracing himself for the short fall and impact with the ground... But it didn't come, he felt secure, strong arms wrapped around his back, his face collided with a firm, yet soft structure... And he found himself thinking...

'_So warm...' _This caused his eyes to snap open, finding only a powerful tan chest in his line of sight, hands sprawled across the smooth yet scarred skin. Head slowly tilted up, looking sideways up at his master, the sweetest expression of confusion on his face.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zabuza watched the boy in the clearing, picking flowers... But why...

'_Leave... Leave now... You're a fool to watch him like this... LEAVE!'_ As he turned to go, the demon heard the zip of a needle and it's collision with the tree. He froze, hearing the boy's words before he took off in the opposite direction; knowing in the back of his mind that the boy would follow.

'_Damn it, he saw! Faster damn it! Faster!' _He cursed himself to move faster, far enough ahead of his young charge not to be recognized, leaping from tree to tree, into yet another clearing; hearing those swift steps behind him, knowing he'd taught the boy great speed... Escaping this would be a bit of a challenge.

His name... Haku had called his name...

'_Shit! He knows!' _Cursing himself again... Yet, just as quickly as those fast steps had begun, they stopped, causing Zabuza to look back in question at his young charge, seeing the boy falling fast he dug his foot into the ground and rushed back, catching the small form in his arms.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There they stood, looking between one another, Haku's expression of curiosity and questioning sunk into the demon's face, his own expression of slight concern was hardly masked by the usual hard and callous features. Helping the boy to find his balance, Zabuza's hand raise to his cheek for a moment, caressing the delicate jaw bone of his weapon, examining each confused line in the young man's face.

"T...Thank you Zabuza-San..." the soft voice spoke, breaking the spell the demon had been under. A smile crossing those gentle lips.

"Hn..." the grunt replied, quickly dropping the embrace for the boy to stand on his own... Sort of a ' Don't Mention It ' Kind of thing...

"But..." This restart of words from the younger male caused his eyes to narrow slightly... "Why... Was Zabuza-San hiding in the trees?" soft chestnut eyes asked just as much as his voice did, looking up at the beast like that, with that innocent expression... Almost made his heart break...

Heart break? He didn't have a heart remember...

"I... Didn't... Wish to disturb you..." he lied... Well it wasn't really a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either, he looked away, eyes narrowing farther.

"Is something wrong, master?" the soft whisper continued.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Haku wasn't an idiot... He knew better.

'_Why is he lying to me?' _The boy wondered... '_Look at him, trying to think of an answer... I've no right to question him this way... Not after all he's done for me... But still... I want to... Taste again...' _Haku was losing control of himself again... A hand raised to his master's cheek, it was almost like an out-of-body experience for the younger male... Watching himself do these things, but not being able to stop himself from doing them... Caressing that cheek softly before he raised up on tip toe, pressing his lips again to his master's body, but this time above the bandage mask that was always in place, tasting the breath, the hot breath that flowed behind it. Haku was lost in this odd feeling... Something he hadn't felt in so long... What was it? Completion? Wholeness? Fulfillment? He couldn't place it...

Strong hands gripped his shoulders, pulling him, and his mouth, away from that of his master.

"Za...buza-San..." Haku muttered between odd fits of flustered warmth in his pale cheeks.

That intense gaze... It bore through him like the sharpest of blades.

'_What is this look? Why does he look at me like this?'_ The angelic young man asked himself as the morning light peaked higher above the trees. In his stupefied daze he heard something, the movement of fabric before there was another warmth, stronger this time.

"Mmph." he mumbled in surprise against the hot mouth of his companion.

Those lips... Those perfectly rough, yet feather soft lips. Why were they, so warm? So filling? He was lost, felt as if he was falling and unable to catch himself. But the moment seemed to pass all too quickly, just as quickly as the delicious warmth of his master's mouth had covered his own it was gone. Haku's vision cleared and he gazed upon that strong, hansom face that he'd known for a great deal of his life.

"Mas-..." He was cut off once more by that sweet mouth, but it was different this time, almost hungry if he didn't know any better, he felt movement, the demon grabbed him roughly around the waist and pulled him into a hard embrace, mouth ravishing his own. The boy felt a tickle over his lips and teeth, when he didn't do anything he felt it again, harder, more prominent... Realizing it must've been his master's doing (duh...) he opened his mouth a slight bit in compliance, only to feel the offending bit slip into his mouth, past his teeth, moving over his tongue in a forceful but playful manner.

It didn't last long enough as he felt himself pull away, unable to hold his breath any longer. With the kiss broken he looked up into the uncovered face of his hansom master, there was that look again, what was it... A word then came to mind...

'_Adoration..._' He thought to himself...

But Zabuza had every right to stare at him in such a way, the boy was a sight to behold, his face... His entire face was a beautiful shade of pink, lips slightly parted and pouting gently, chest rising and falling rapidly to catch his breath... The embodiment of beauty, one could say.

"Master?" He asked quietly once his breathing calmed, he didn't get an answer... At least not one he would have expected or understood.

The larger man turned away from him, grabbing his wrist harshly and pulling him along through the forest back towards their house.

"But... My basket!" Haku whined, not wanting to leave it behind.

"Later..." Was the answer he received as he was tugged along, confused.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'_Damn that kid...' _His thoughts plagued him as he held the boy in his arms, feeling the soft lips of his charge upon his own through his mask, he let out a long, rigid breath... '_I have to stop this..._' grabbing Haku's shoulders he pushed him down slightly... But as soon as he gazed upon the angelic face of his charge... Zabuza, Demon of the Hidden Mist... Lost his resolve.

Quickly he undid the bandages around his face and pulled the boy closer, pressing his battle-worn lips over the pillow soft ones of his companion. Pulling his body even closer still...

'_Weak.. Pathetic... Stupid... Human..._' He cursed himself yet again... But did nothing to stop. Tongue pressing against Haku's lips and teeth, asking for entry into the warm recesses of his mouth. When he didn't get an answer, the older man pressed a little harder, feeling a gently rush of warm air into his mouth as the boy opened his, practically jumping at the opportunity his own tongue sped into that sweet cave, feeling a nearly silken tongue against his own, tasting the essence of Haku's being...

Then it ended. Haku pulled away... The larger man felt a thumping in his chest, it pounded in his ears as he looked upon that perfect face... The blushing, the lips... The way he was panting.

'_Damn him!_' he growled... '_Gotta move... MOVE NOW!_' He willed his oddly weak legs to move, but yet unwilling to let the boy go as he question what was going on, Zabuza grabbed his delicate wrist and pulled him along to what they currently knew as, home.

"But... My basket!" He heard the soft voice say in a worried tone.

'_Touching..._' He thought... '_No! Not touching! Pathetic!_' He willed his thoughts to stop as he pulled the boy along.

"Later..." He said... '_After we get this sorted out..._' He shook his thoughts off again.

A short while later

Haku felt himself being pressed into the wood of the table, his master's arms around his waist, lips pressing in a bruising manner against his own, the boy could only follow his instinct and do what he felt was right... And in this case that would be...

'_More more MORE!' _He yelled in his own mind... '_What is he doing to me?'_ Asking himself... '_I dunno... I don't care... But... I WANT MORE!' _Zabuza had taught him to take whatever it is he wanted by any means necessary. Haku didn't dare question his teachings, the boy did as his body told him, lifting his leg and wrapping it around his master's waist, arms around his neck.

Haku whimpered gently, feeling a slightly harsh nibble on his lip, previously closed eyes opening just slightly enough to see the strong face of his master as the demon's teeth pricked and nipped at his lip, drawing a bit of blood, only to have it suckled away.

Something felt wrong... Not this... This felt wonderful, despite his bloody lip, as the older man gnawed upon it.

"Mmph!" The boy mumbled against the harsh kisses, feeling a hand slip up into his hair, fingers slipping into the long dark locks before taking a tight grip, pulling his head back, causing a slightly alarmed yelp to escape the young assassin's mouth, gaze now fell on the wall behind them, the kisses, licks, nibbles and nips once laid upon his lips now adorned his neck, bruises and bite marks would surely be present once they were finished. "Ma...Master..." he whimpered.

Something clicked in Haku's head... Pushing roughly against his master's chest he grunted at the impressive weight of his body, flipping the larger man off of him.

Then...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HUZZAH! CHAPTER ONE!

I enjoyed writing this so much... SO MUCH! I will surely update quickly... Within a couple of days at least I hope :3. Please comment! Please please please!!

Truthfully... I don't give one flying bucket of yak poo what you people think :3 But, it would be nice if you told me anyway.

Blu


	2. Chapter 2: Of Enemies and Lovers

What Is This Loving Feeling?

Hello all, my first story after returning to I hope you all like it.

Summary: New feelings have been exposed... touches and tastes have been exchanged... What does this mean for the odd pair? How will this effect their team work in battle? Will things go any farther?

Warning: Well, yaoi of course... Some future things you people might not like... This IS NOT a lemon... Some soft fluff and mushy goodness... THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS GRAPHIC SCENES OF VIOLENCE, SLAUGHTER, DEATH and a butt gropage x3.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or these characters in any way, shape or form. Perhaps if I did . There would be a lot more secret glances from Zabuza to Haku... And a bit more lovin going on x3.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 2 - Of Enemies and Lovers

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Haku felt guilty for treating his master in such a manner, to push him off so indignantly... It was rude, and unappreciative of the young ninja; but necessary to uphold his position. With the demon now on his back, on the floor, against the table, allowing the boy to sit up and take perch, retrieving a concealed needle from the strap of his geta; just in time to counter a barrage of kunai that flew in their direction; Haku having effectively dodged the weapons flying at them, and before had pushed his master out of the way..

"Hunters!" he pointed out, three fully-grown hunter-nin jetted from the trees surrounding the shrine, two equipped with weapons ready; the third's hands free to form seals.

In an attempt to keep his clean room from being messed, as well as protect his precious master of course, Haku charged from the room, jumping high into the air as he slipped two more needles from the straps of his sandals, clenching them between his knuckles while descending upon the enemy, soft dark locks whipping in his face as he did such.

Upon reaching his target, attack was blocked swiftly with another offending kunai, the loud rapping of weapons clash, rang in the air. As he was occupied with one, the other two ran at Zabuza, knowing very well that his master could indeed hold his own, yet still desiring greatly to do his duty; the young man flipped, the brunt of his heavy wooden sandal knocking his opponent in the strong chiseled jaw line that had been hidden beneath a mask of his own. Mask falling away, cracked and broken. The blood of a cracked chin and bitten lip now seeped from the man's mouth as he fell back.

"He is not yours to have!" Haku breathed out in a heavy hiss of anger at his closeness with the demon interrupted. Snapping his wrist in a launch of the twin needles having been held firmly in his soft hands, third concealed for immediate use; weapons caught their marks in the ankle of the bottom of each foot. Movement of either halted suddenly, falling to ground with a dead leg to drag behind. Eyes narrowed in fuming anger, the boy fell to his feet, back to his master, expressionless hatred radiated from his body, so much that words need not be spoke.

As if a blade of heated rage ripped through their bodies, the blood of each hunter splayed itself across the sweet, crisp, dew covered grass that their fresh bodies lay upon, coating the beautiful shade of green in a thick, increasingly large puddle of red. Only then would the demon's eye be drawn back to the younger male, looking upon the pair of kunai within his grasp; wondering briefly where such weapons were concealed. Haku quickly reared on the corpses, dropping the blades in his hand, moving to hurry back in doors, small specks of blood upon his flawless cheeks, adding a slight red close to his pale skin.

The boy dropped to his knees on the wooden floor before where Zabuza sat in front of the table, a now apologetic look upon the boy's face.

"Forgive my rudeness, Zabuza-San." He whispered, hands resting in his lap while his head dropped in a moment of shame.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Demon of the Hidden Mist grunted as he was thrown off of the slender body of one beneath him, landing with yet another harsh grunt and a thud on his rump. (Hehe x3 ZabuRump!) Watching intently as his weapon took action, feet perched firmly on the corner edge of the table as he blocked the attack of the offending party, the sound of colliding bits of metal, rang through his ears. Dark eyes followed each and every move; he could nearly hear the wind rush with the speed at which the younger man moved...

Watching as he attacked one while the others sped toward him, grabbing immediately for a weapon at his side... Only to find he didn't need it anymore, the two fell before the entrance, as if they were bowing to his greatness. Looking up once more he found Haku, firmly upon his feet, looking as if someone perhaps had just slaughtered one of his precious snow hare. In the blink of an eye Zabuza was nearly lost to the story line; blood was flying, the fallen attackers had been shredded nearly to ribbons, their ripped flesh gleamed sunlight red, behind his charge; the rivers of blood now rained down upon the grass.

'_Good work, boy'_ He thought to himself, eyes gleaming down at the sight, finding it oddly amusing; Haku had sliced one of the hunters, that closest to the door in fact, nearly in half. The dead man's stomach hung gaping, blood quickly gushing out, along with its contents onto the ground beneath, forming a red soaked mass of flesh and bowels beside him as he convulsed, the last bits of energy leaving his body. A long clear, clean cut running from his upper pelvis to the tip of his chin, mouth hung open another wave of his life fluid dripped, streaming down the side of his face..

The second, to the left of the one cut in two, wasn't in much better shape. Mask slowly slid off of his face, cut perfectly across, the top of the two split sections slipped from broad forehead, leaving a cleaner area of the red stained skin covering said man's face. A deep gash, the length of the kunai's blade, ran over his face, entirely visible once the second half fell to the ground, mouth quivery as blood flowed from the cut that coursed from one ear to the other across the man's eyes and the bridge of his nose. Face of the corpse lolling to the side, allowing the liquid to flow more freely, chunks of flesh, tissue and brain matter. (Yay! Haku sliced through a skull! Woohoo!)

Finally, the third was the most artistic in Zabuza's eyes. This one consisted of five more jagged wounds, all together. Deep lacerations split from foot to hip on each leg, another set from wrist to shoulder on each arm, and finally the dying man's head hung back a bit, head nearly sawed off in such a manner that the contents of his neck were visible. Last vision before darkness overcame him would be the bloody, emotionless face of his killer, replaced by the bright, white speckled, blue of the morning sky.

Zabuza's focus snapped back to his young accomplice once hearing the thud of the boy's knees on the floor, confused at the apology he realized what the young one meant.

"Get up..." He ordered

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Haku stood at his master's request, face concerned at the thought of what his punishment might be... Only to find himself being pulled hard, by the collar of his yukata; feeling like he was flying, or perhaps falling, into the lap of his precious demon, the tight security of strong, warm arms circled around his waist, securing his light form in place. In a slight bout of surprise, large doe eyes looked up into menacing oculars that gleaned down at him, coming closer and closer until the sweet face of the younger man was 'assaulted' by light licks and kisses, sucking up each and every drop of blood that had fallen to his face, trailing to his neck; slender fingers gripped at the broad shoulders of his captor, soft lips pouted gently, allowing a small whimper to escape.

Time passed so quickly... What exactly had happened he didn't know, but soon the moon shown clearly through the open door; a rather horrid stench began to creep within the quiet dwelling... Almost quiet dwelling. Rustling sounds and the sounds of fabric against fabric, gently whimpers and growls penetrated the air around the main room; Haku's yukata hung open, as he was ravished in nips and nibbles, everywhere BUT his face and neck, Zabuza having long ago discarded his mask and most of his clothing as well... Though as far as it seemed, that would be as far as they'd gotten.

"Za...Zabuza-San?" Yet another whimper crossed the flustered pink, and bruised lips, trying to gain his master's attention.

"Hnn?" Came a grunted reply as warm mouth was occupied on Haku's bellybutton.

"I...It's evening... I... I must... ngh... dinner..." The boy could hardly speak let alone cook in such a state.

A foreign and rather eerie smirky-grin plastered itself over the demon's face. "You ARE dinner..." he said, continuing his ministrations.

Haku felt bad... he wanted to please his master, and yet here he was; though it was obvious that the one above him would have been the dominant, the beautiful young man had hardly gotten a taste of what it was he wanted most. After mustering up the strength to speak again, trying something, ANYTHING to stop this glorious torture.

"Zabuz...za-Sa...n?" His voice broken by a sharp gasp and arch of the back as a fuzzy surge sent its way through his body, leaving his feet nearly numb, eyes having snapped shut in alarm at the sudden sensation, slowly opened to see his master had aimed his oral actions slightly lower...

"Mph?" Came yet another grunt, muffled though it was.

"Th... uh... smell..." He yelped a bit as the cold air hit his 'entire' body once more, hearing a sigh from his master once such happened.

Zabuza wiped his mouth of a bit of saliva trailing down the corner of his lip, looking down at the object of such odd behavior. "Fine..." he growled out, obviously rather unhappy with the distraction his companion had presented him with... "Get dressed." He hissed, annoyed as such. The large man redressed, tying his bandage mask in place yet again, glaring down at the boy.

Strangely he couldn't help but smirk at the sight of the small frame of his weapon while the boy fumbled a bit with the fabric of his clothing, a blush clearly painted across his moon bathed cheeks. Tying the sash hurriedly around his waist, he stood with the demon; looking down at the floor, unable to face to piercing eyes for some odd reason.

"Let's get it over with..." Gruff words came, the sound of the man stepping out onto the porch and down into the grass, now covered and caked with insects wanting to devour the corpses of the bodies that had lain from morning to night, enduring the sun's heat and weather's brutal grasp.

Already having begun to decompose, a fox gnawed generously upon the flesh of one of the trio, when it growled at the approaching form, it received a hard kick from a somewhat deprived Zabuza. Nodding and following in suit, delicate feet with painted nails slipped into his sandals that had been discarded carelessly by the door, hopping down into the grass and leaning down to grab the wrist of one body while the larger grabbed a hold of two, one by loose, long hair and the other by the hem of a cloak. Dragging them deep into the forest for the wild to devour.

After they left the remains somewhere away from their current home, the sweet boy caught sight of something intriguing and began to walk toward what it was that held his attention.

Without a word the larger followed, curious as to what it was that could've lead the boy so far ahead into an area they'd not traveled yet. Before long Haku stepped into a moon filled clearing, a few second before his master could fallow, leaving a breath taking sight to be seen. The silver light of the evening cascaded over the features of his charge, illuminating his smiled though his lips were pouting and bruised, ebony tresses glowed and shimmered bright in the dancing starlight, the sweet creamy skin was brilliantly aflame in the assassin's eyes, so much so that his heart, which so rarely beat was stopped dead. All these things could hardly compare to that look, eyes, those ghostly chocolate eyes, as if they were glistening with the sweetest of thoughts, the most innocent of dreams; so much so that it wasn't fair.

'_That smile' _Thought the demon. '_...my smile._' And that was that... No criticism from the back of his mind at such a possessive thought over something so small, so weak.

Though Zabuza had never before realized; it was truly his smile, one only he'd really ever seen, though it'd gone unnoticed since the first time it appeared on those innocent lips.

'_Why?.. Why does that smile haunt me so?_' He knew his calm thoughts were too good to be true. '_He will never be truly yours, Zabuza._' Another voice chimed in his head. '_But he is... My weapon, my tool... My Haku._' He smirked triumphantly at such a thought. '_Mine... All mine..._' Yet, a nagging feeling, something bothered him, and it began to pick at the back of his brain as hard as he tried to push it aside.

Shaking this off as best he could, the demon stepped forward into the clearing, the moon's rays coming to rest on his features as well.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Haku's breath hitched in his throat when the strong hansom man that was his savior, entered the clearing. Each muscle of his exposed upper body was brightened with each bit of skin the light shown upon. Once hard and callous eyes seemed to turn soft and gentle in such lighting as the boy's knees collapsed beneath him with the flutter of his heart, looking up at the form that advanced upon him, enveloping him in shadow now that he sat, unable to stand in a patch of soft wild flowers.

'_W...What's happened to him?_' The boy wondered, slightly alarmed at the new sight of his master in such a welcoming state. '_He's different... What has happened to my precious person? H...Have I... Done something to change him?_' He asked curiously within his head, when a sudden touch to the face snapped him from his sweet thoughts.

"Haku..." Deep voice spoke behind the worn bandages. The boy's eyes closed partially as he watched the face of the murderer that held his heart, come closer. Feeling a soft nuzzled, nearly the touch of a pillow, upon his cheek.

"Zabuza-San..." He whispered in return, not daring to take such a token of affection lightly, despite their previous hours of touch, taste and exploration. Slowly he wrapped his arms around powerful midsection, pulling his master as close as he could, moving to snuggle his face into that strong expanse of skin, known as the large male's chest. Beautiful eyes closing in the warm embrace, feeling as if he were wrapped in the most wonderful blanket made in the history of the world, despite the chill of the evening he was cozier than he'd ever been before, noticing the face of his enchanting master bury itself in his hair.

Somehow along this happy moment, his consciousness slipped from his grasp.

_He was running, running fast and far... Running after something... Something he loved... Something... Something precious..._

_Precious..._

"_Ha...ku" He heard a feeble voice call._

"_Zabuza... Zabu-Kun..." a voice resounded, looking around he questioned where it'd come from... "Zabu-Kun..." then realizing it was his own._

_Blood..._

_Death..._

_The stench of a fresh body hung in the air, coppery scent and the flavor of blood circulated around his form, strong and stronger with each step._

"_H...Haku..." He heard that quiet voice, so familiar... Yet, so foreign. "I wish..." There was a long, grueling pause that hung heavy on Haku's heart. "...I could go to the same place as you..." Then... Silence. Haku felt emptiness; his eyes open to find himself lying flat on his back on a hard, stone surface. Looking, very slowly to the side, the pain in his neck and the harsh taste of his own blood in his mouth, stung at his innards; his heart fell into the darkest abyss the mighty universe could muster, the demon... the devil that he held so very close to his spirit, was broken... The unfamiliar sight of tears in his master's eyes, the expression of utter defeat and sadness on his face... The pang of sorrow and shock when Haku awoke as he was leaving this world, falling limp... A single tear, fell from his eye before darkness enveloped him yet again, the heartache that such a scene had caused, was too much for his broken body to take._

Shocked orbs snapped open, he shot up in bed...

"ZABU-KUN!" he shrieked, panting heavily in excitement... "ZABUZA!" he stood fast, looking around frantically, the thumping pound of his heart in his ears was all he could hear, even the call of his own voice was lost in the beat.

There was nothing, no sign of his companion in doors, he checked his master's room, feeling a tad out of place barging in like that; the kitchen, nothing; the bath shed behind the main building, still not a sign...

"Zabu-Kun." Tears welled up in the boy's eyes as he heard a snap... Gaze narrowed and he jumped back, barely missed as a pair of shuriken whipped past his face.

"Always be on guard, boy." The powerful voice commanded as the tall feature stood upon the roof, large cleaver in hand...

He looked so relieved, nearly sinking to the ground, but not to dare as he'd been challenged so abruptly. Realizing that he was not in the same attire as the previous day, it was clear to say that not a single weapon was upon his form, thus he retrieved the shuriken from the ground near his feet, charging quickly at his sensei, he jumped high, flinging a shuriken from his grasp with a precise aim. A weird smirk placed itself on his lips as the attack was blocked by the large cleaver, still coming down upon his master at the time. Boy landed gently upon the blade, his balance alike that of a cat, and as such, he pounced; palm placed on his master's shoulder to quickly flip behind him, legs wrapped around his waist from behind, a position like that of a child's piggy back ride, shuriken placed at that brawny neck.

Even in his unprepared state, Haku could best his master in speed and the wit to thing of a new plan in the span of a split second.

"Good morning Zabuza-San." He said happily.

"Yea... Was all that screaming necessary?" he asked, looking back at his charge over his shoulder.

"Oh..." Haku climbed off his back and looked away, blushing... "I... I had a nightmare..." he slid carefully off the roof, landing with bent knees; the soft spray of near morning air, brushed itself against his cheeks as he retreated into the shrine.

Placing the blank look on his face once more; the boy padded quietly into the kitchen, beginning to prepare a breakfast for his master with the left over pork meat and what little rice remained in the small bowl he'd been saving. Boiling some water, the boy dropped a few meat soaked, small bones of the pig-carcass in into the water filled bowl. Footsteps, thumping through the walls of the house...

'_No...No no no no... Don't... Please... No No_' He thought, squeezing his eyes shut... Yet the presence behind him was unmistakable, causing a defeated sigh to escape his lips.

"Haku?" the ruthless voice flowed as music would in his ears. "Tell me."

The boy stood as the food simmered over the small fire he'd prepared, turning to the larger male he'd look up into those hard, malice filled eyes.

"Forgive me... For my actions... It was not my place to impose upon you, Zabuza." He bowed his head and brushed past the tall form of his savior, padding to his own room to change and bathe. Leaving a rather confused demon behind, wondering how in hell his tool dared refuse him an answer... Let alone apologize for something he actually had no control over. But that was just like the boy, always apologizing, always baffling him in the oddest ways.

Subtle body sat on the messed futon in his room, head in his hands over the conflict raging in his mind and the memory of the treacherous dream that plagued his pretty head. Haku grabbed yet another hair tie from his pile of clothing, tying it up into the tight, oh so familiar bun that had become his habit, though without his yellow swash of fabric, it didn't quite feel right. Perhaps he would go search for it on the route he'd chased his master the previous day...

The previous day...

A blush crept its way once again to his cheeks; he could feel it, those touches... Those lips... That... That breath on his skin. He'd never known that brutal murderer could be so gentle, especially when it came to him. But it didn't feel right; he wasn't deserving of such affections... Someone like Zabuza, like his master, deserved someone on his level, not a tool, not a mere weapon like himself.

'_I... Why... Why did he touch me like that? And, why did I... Why did I touch back?_' The answers to any of these questions were all lost to him as he got up, folding his mattress carefully, folding the blanket then placing it and the pillow on top of the folded pad. Deciding he'd wash later, Haku untied his sleep robe, allowing it to fall to the floor in a pool at his feet as he began to dress in his usual clothing. Finding that since the attack last night, there must indeed be more hunters in the area.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shadowed eyes narrowed in anger as the boy left his sight.

'_What is that brat trying to pull?!_' The rage surged through his veins... '_I told you he'd never truly be yours..._' Zabuza clenched his fist tight, short nails nearly cut into his hand with such a devastating grip, he stormed through the main room and down the hall, throwing open Haku's bedroom door. Growling like the animal he was, his eyes fell on his charge, the boy stood there in not but his pants and sandals, hair up in a bun like that... Top in hand...

"How dare you..." Zabuza growled once more, advancing quickly upon his student... The new look of fear within Haku's eyes as the large man came at him. Grabbing his neck tight, the demon pushed him up against the hard beam of the wall; slender legs and small feet hanging helplessly in the tight grasp, not daring to even try removing the forceful hand of the man at his throat, the heartless beast that clenched its grip around his neck didn't seem to care that he couldn't breathe now and his gaze was getting foggy.

He descended his face down upon the boy in a bruising, ruthless kiss that caused a whimper of pain to escape the crunched throat, he felt the strength of the boy's neck beginning to give at the strength of his hold; throwing gentle creature to the floor he charged, overtaking the small frame of his victim with savage force; ripping the pants from his body, assaulting the silky skin anywhere and in any way he could, leaving welts, bruises and bite marks everywhere he trailed before grabbing his arm and turning him over, smashing his face into the floor, ignoring the tears that near fell from those beautiful eyes.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With his arm forced behind his back, in a snare almost as painful as the one that he been on his neck, he made not a sound as his master began what would be a day full of pain and agony for the young boy; he'd manage to take a hold of a lock of hair in his mouth, to silence the whimpers, yelps, gasps and screams that threatened so helplessly to erupt from his black and blue throat.

Later

Limp, tired, bleeding... Gentle curves of his form laid there, used and abused to the point that he didn't know anymore if he could go on. Not long ago his master had pulled away, wiping rough lips of the boy's blood, having taken a nice big bite into his shoulder. Rigid breath escaped his chest, trying so hard not to let out a sound as silent sobs wracked his body. Longing so desperately for his limbs to move, to reach for the kunai concealed within his mattress, to end this wretched pain and suffering. The last words his master had spoken, echoed within his mind.

"I don't like the taste of things I cannot devour." It was more of a hiss in his ringing ears than actual words.

Tears still streaked down his face, eyes red and puffy with hours of crying through the duration of his master's ministrations. What had he done to deserve this? What had happened to anger his precious one so? He couldn't understand what had gone so terribly wrong, though he didn't quite understand what had happened, he knew it wasn't right, nothing that hurt so much could possibly be right. Physical pain wasn't all that plagued the poor boy, his heart was broken, his spirit shattered... Everything in his mind had numbed and he could hardly see through the fog of hurt and tears that clouded his tender gaze.

Something caught his attention, a smell... Something burning, it dawned on him that the food he'd been preparing earlier that morning had been boiling to now, mid-afternoon. Stewing, broiling... simmering away to nothingness; the liquid that'd filled the bowl had steamed away, the meat and bone that'd been flavoring the stew were burnt, and the bowl itself was charred, ruined. Sweet young man tried desperately to move, to get to the food, not wanting to anger his master farther.

Too late...

Crashes were heard as the bowl flew across his vision, smashing into a wall farther down the hall, the snarl of his master's wrath clearly heard throughout the building, various small animals and other such creatures fled from anywhere around the structure, fear of being eaten alive by this fearsome monster.

It was early evening before Haku could final lift himself from the floor again, blood caking his thighs, legs and rump, merely bending to his knees caused a howl of pain in his backside and lower back region. (Poor baby TT) Slowly, very slowly, he inched his way closer to the mattress.

'_I... Have shamed...My master...' _The thoughts rang clear in his head as he fished around the folds of the cushions with one weak hand, hopefully looking for the kunai that he'd placed there for emergencies.

But alas, he was not so lucky... It was gone, the on salvation he had left was missing.

'_He...He knew... He knew and wanted me to suffer..._' Haku sat there, naked; with his legs curled to his body, he sat slightly upon his hip, as his butt was far too sore to stand the contact. Having heard the monster that he cared so much for, leave the dwelling earlier that day, not having heard him return, the boy thought perhaps that he was safe to try to bathe. Standing was quite the feet, having crawled over to the wall nearest to his bowl; he took it in hand, cloth going along for the ride. Using the wall as a brace, his shaking knees trying so hard to support his weight, feeling more of the warm liquid, along with some of his master's 'essence' flowing from his body, down his legs only to drip, unnoticed to the floor as he slowly inched his way to the pump outside, groans past his lips, the horrible feeling of his muscles straining despite the sharp pain that aimed itself between the soft cushioned cheeks of his backside.

After quite some time he made it to the porch, and faced the stairs with and sorrow filled dread on his face, tears still rolling freely down his bruise speckled cheeks, he held the beam and took a shaky step forward; still trying to grip the beam firmly, he took another step forward before letting go. As he willed his foot to push forward, he knew it was a mistake; the unbridled pain in his back intensified as he felt that sinking feeling and the hard corner of the stair collided with his spine... He continued to tumble to the grass below, his washbasin shattering as it hit the hard stoop.

He lay there...

Motionless...

Battered and bruised in so many ways...

Broken in mind, body and spirit...

Darkness filled his sight; numbness filled his body. Then, there was nothing.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'_Cold...' _His mind suddenly stung. '_Cold... Water._' He stirred, eyes opening slightly at the chill that ran down his aching body.

"Don't try moving."

He stiffened at that voice, his body becoming rigid in his weakened state, causing him to wince and whine in the same second; earning another jolt of searing pain from the bruising upon his face. Strong, that gaze was strong, strong enough to feel through intense aching and closed eyes. The cold continued, cloth as chill as winter, trailed itself over his creamy skin; pangs of fear and agony gripped his mind.

'_Don't show him your fear... You are a too... This was just another use..._' Those words played over and over through his mind, trying harder and harder each moment to convince himself that was the truth. '_I live solely for his happiness, for his dream... For his desire._' Wincing at a bruise being pressed upon by the cloth his master wielded, coursing carefully over every inch of exposed flesh, being that he was nude left little to be said.

It wasn't long before he was left, alone once more; he wanted to curl up beneath his blanket and die... But the boy was more than sure he couldn't move very much due to his injuries, lying there alone was causing his rump to sting with the splits to his innards.

Again, the gentle hand of sleep took hold of his senses, enveloping him in the comforting cradle of unconsciousness, willing his being to relax, urging the healing process to begin and end as quickly as possible.

It was not a restful slumber, his subconscious stabbed at him, like an ice pick in the snow. Why did it bother him so much? Why did it hurt so much? In his unrest he tossed and turned, no matter how long it truly lasted, it didn't seem to last long enough to the poor boy. Just as those big beautiful eyes closed, they opened again, as if only a split second later.

"Finally... Brat." The all-too-familiar voice assaulted his ears, causing a groggy groan to escape his throat. "Been out for damn near a week... Thought you were gonna die on me." The dark voice was followed by a cold chuckle...

That made it all worse; broken heart shattered farther, and for some unknown reason he felt like puking, yet only stomach acid weaseled its way up his gullet. Weak hands gripped feebly at the soft, white, cotton covers that draped over his supple curves, willing himself not to cry, willing the pain and depression toward what'd happen to go away; no such luck.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DUN DUN DUN! I are an ebil, ebil authoress. Horrible, ebil to the poor Haku... He be rapeded x.x What got into Zabu-Kun?

IT IS FAR FROM OVER!

Blu


	3. Apologies

Forgive me people :/ I've been rather busy lately, distracted and tired. Yes yes, I realize that these are very common and overused excuses, yet taking care of an 86 year old father of 2, husband to a wife that is not very understanding ; who's mind is slowly slipping away... Not very easy, I do love my grandfather, honestly I do, and taking care of him isn't the issue, it's balancing everything else along with it, I've fallen dreadfully behind in many other areas that need tending to, my social life is slowly picking itself back up, I'm trying to get in contact with 'family' members that I've not seen in a few months, as well as my grandmother who's hip is broken... Listening to her gripe isn't easy either (Note: To all of you that read this that already know the story about what I've been up to, you can completely skip the rest of this letter, as it's repetitive and you've already heard it all) 

In any case, I do appreciate anyone reading this, and the previous two chapters, the third WILL be posted shortly and the fourth to follow not long after. Having recently gotten DSL on this crap ass computer, I'll be able to re-watch my inspiration as well as analyze a few more in order to keep the story going.

Thanks to all the people that have commented, ready, fav-ed and other such lovely things, the turn out for this story was a lot higher than I'd expected, and I'm very pleased.

For now my friends, I bid you farewell and hope you're all looking forward to what is to come.

-Blu


End file.
